Natural selection method tor design automation
including a moving line scorer

ABSTRACT

WHAT IS DESCRIBED IS A PROGRESSIVE SCORING MECHANISM FOR A &#34;NATURAL SELECTION&#34; DESIGN AUTOMATION METHOD WHICH CAN BE EMBODIED IN A COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR OPTIMIZING SPECIFIED OBJECTIVE FUNCTION, FOR EXAMBLE, THE LOCATION OF A PLURALITY OF OBJECTS. BY DIVIDING WHAT IS SCORED BY THE OPTIMIZATION PROCESS AT A GIVEN STAGE ON WHAT IS DEFINED AS A &#34;CARE&#34; &#34;DON&#39;&#39;T CARE&#34; BASIS, THE PROGRAM CAN FOCUS ATTENTION ON MOST TROUBLESOME POINTS WITHOUT PREMATURELY BUILDING IN STRUCTURE ELSEWHERE. AT A NEXT STAGE, SOME OF THE MATERIAL PERVIOUSLY TREATED AS &#34;DON&#39;&#39;T CARE&#34; IS NOW TREATED AS &#34;CARE.&#34; THUS, THE METHOD CAN PROCEED THROUGH A SEQUENCE OF STAGES PROGESSIVELY DEALING WITH MORE AND MORE OF THE CONTENT OF THE PROBLEM UNTIL AN APPROPRIATE STOPPING POINT IS REACHED. IN THIS WAY, NOT ONLY CAN WORST PEAKS BE DIRECTLY ATTACKED, BUT ALSO LESSER PEAKS AND BALLEYS CAN BE TREATED IN DUE COURSE.

DEFENSIVE PUBLICATION UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Published at the request of the applicant or owner in accordance with the Notice of Dec. 16, 1969, 869 O.G. 687. The abstracts of Defensive Publication applications are identified by distinctly numbered series and are arranged chronologically. The heading of each abstract indicates the number of pages of specification, including claims and sheets of drawings contained in the application as originally filed. The files of these applications are available to the public for inspection and reproduction may be purchased for 30 cents a sheet.

Defensive Publication applications have not been examined as to the merits oi! alleged invention. The Patent Ofiice makes no assertion as to the novelty of the disclosed subject matter.

PUBLISHED JANUARY 22, 1974 T918,014 NATURAL SELECTION METHOD FOR DESIGN AUTOMATION INCLUDING A MOVING LINE SCORER Bradford Dunham, 300 Martine Ave., White Plains, N.Y.

10601, and James H. North, 1249 Baldwin Road, Yorktown Heights, N.Y. 10598 Filed June 29, 1973, Ser. No. 375,288 Int. Cl. G06f 15/46 US. Cl. 444-1 2 Sheets Drawing. 14 Pages Specification I UENERATE A moon 0mm or ITEMS. IN COLUMN I I SET THE GARE,OON'T-OARE OIVIDING LINE AT ONE BELOW THE HIGHEST PEAU CHOOSE AN ITEM AT RANOOM TRY MOVING ITEM DOVIN MOVE ITEM TO NEXT POSITION REGORD CHANGE IN AREA ABOVE THE LINE DOES THE MAXIMUM PEAII GROW? NO YES I ADD A LARGE POSITIVE NUMBER TO THE AREA OVER THE I.INE I TRY MOVING ITEM UP IS IT POSSIBLE THAT A FURTHER MOVE IN THIS DIRECTION WILL PRODUCE A BETTER RESULT! YEs WERE wr novmc UP CHOOSE THAT POSITION WITH LARGEST NEGATIVE CHANGE IN THE AREA ABOVE THE LINE; AMONG EOUALS,MOVE FURTIIEST IND NEGATIVE CHANGE ANY ITEMS LEFT TO BE TRIED I LOWER ms um: TO ONE mow THE urn HIGHEST PEATI OHEOK STOPPING MECHANISM What is described is a progressive scoring mechanism for a natural selection design automation method which can be embodied in a computer program for optimizing a specified objective function, for example, the location of a plurality of objects. By dividing what is scored by the optimization process at a given stage on what is defined as a care dont care basis, the program can focus attention on most troublesome points without prematurely building in structure elsewhere. At a next stage, some of the material previously treated as dont care is now treated as care. Thus, the method can proceed through a sequence of stages progressively dealing with more and more of the content of the problem until an appropriate stopping point is reached. In this way, not only can worst peaks be directly attacked, but also lesser peaks and valleys can be treated in due course.

FIG. 1

JEn.22,1974- BEDUNHAMEI'AL T918,014

NATURAL SELECTION METHOD FOR DESIGN AUTOMATION INCLUDING A MOVING LINE SCORER Filed June 29, 1973 g 2 Shoots-Shut x GENERATE A RANDOM ORDER OF ITEMS IN COLUMN I SET THE GARE,DON 'T-GARE DIVIDING LINE AT ONE BELOW THE HIGHEST PEAK F j I cHoosE AN ITEM AT RANDOM T TRY uovmc ITEM THY ovmc ITEM oovm N T I new ITEII To NEXT POSITION I RECORD CHANGE IN AREA ABOVE THE LINE DOES THE MAXIMUM PEAK GROW INO FQIYES IS IT POSSIBLE THAT A FURTHER MOVE IN THIS DIRECTION VIILL PRODUCE A BETTER RESULT? VIERE VIE MOVING UP uol YES@ N0 NEGATIVE CHANGE MAKE THE MOVE ANY'ITEMS LEFT E I To BE TRIED I 6 I IS AREA ABOVE THE L f I LINE EQUAL To ZERO? STUCK Que YES i LOWER THE LINE T0 ONE BELOW THE NEXT HIGHEST PEAK CHECK STOPPING MECHANISM I I L E STOP Jan. 22, 1974 I DUNHAM ETAL T918,014

NATURAL SELECTION METHOD FOR DESIGN AUTOMATION INCLUDING A MOVING LINE SCORER 

